Ex-officer charged with child abuse

KATI BEXLEYkati.bexley@staugustinerecord.com

Published Wednesday, September 28, 2005

A former St. Augustine Police Department officer is charged with child abuse and simple battery after he allegedly touched a 17-year-old girl inappropriately, according to the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office.

Bruce Allen Bennett, 54, was an officer at the St. Augustine Police Department from 1973 to 1998, said Officer Tom Clements. Records show he voluntarily resigned.

A Sheriff's Office police report says that on Sept. 3, Bennett took the girl to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to practice for her driving test.

Deputies said Bennett tried to take the girl's shirt off and attempted to fondle her. The girl resisted and reported the incident to an adult.

The report also says that, since the alleged incident, the girl has missed several days at school and has had problems sleeping at night.

Although the incident happened in St. Johns County, Bennett was taken to the Flagler County jail as part of a standard procedure for former police officers, said Kevin Kelshaw, of the Sheriff's Office.

"You could have people in the jail that (officers) arrested," Kelshaw said. "Even if they are not currently an officer, we will not put in the jail system where they worked."

Bennett was released on Sept. 22 on a $5,000 bond, according to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office.